Cambria mill faces $1.8 million OSHA fine in grain dust explosion that killed five

Federal safety officials say a Cambria mill where five workers were killed in a May 31 grain dust explosion should be fined more than $1.8 million in connection with the incident.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Friday that the explosion at Didion Milling Inc. likely resulted from the mill's failure to correct the leakage and accumulation of highly combustible grain dust throughout the facility and to properly maintain equipment to control ignition sources.

OSHA hit Didion’s Cambria facility with 14 "willful" citations, most involving fire and explosion hazards. The company has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

Didion said in a statement it is "continuing to work with industry experts and other agencies to determine the cause of the incident."

"Didion does not agree with the severity of the penalties levied against our family-owned business or the conclusions released by OSHA today," the company said. "We are working with our legal counsel to determine how to address the findings from this federal agency."

The explosion killed five workers and injured 12 others, including a 21-year-old employee who suffered a double leg amputation after being crushed by a rail car, OSHA said.

“Didion Milling could have prevented this tragedy if it had addressed hazards that are well-known in this industry,” OSHA Regional Administrator Ken Nishiyama Atha said in a statement. “Instead, their disregard for the law led to an explosion that claimed the lives of workers, and heartbreak for their families and the community.”

The exact total of the fines is $1,837,861. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, OSHA said.

Didion said that regardless of how it addressed the OHSA decision, it plans to rebuild its corn milling facility in Cambria using "the latest technology and industry best practices, creating one of the most efficient, effective and safe operational systems available."